Category: Carnivale in Genua

It’s just so much larger than life. It’s pretty, it’s ugly, it’s daring and bold and utterly uncaring about what you think. It was such fun to spin something quick and fun and huge! The instant (or almost, anyway) gratification really boosted my optimism after getting a bit bogged down in the other two that are ongoing.

The two batts seemed to dance with one another in a really special drama – the foppish Frog Prince evoking overdressed, bewigged, powdered, gold-braided lords and the ladylike, coquettish Peeps batt, with slashed sleeves revealing hot pink, royal purple and teal underskirts and lots, and lots of cleavage. I spun them with a sexy, stately, decadent waltz in mind, the rhythm of the dance creating thick and thin spots in the yarn that twined around one another, each one showcasing the other at the turns of the dance.

I ended up with just over 50m of 2-5wpi, super super bulky yarn, 250-ish grams in total. And I just love it so much, in case you couldn’t tell. One of these days I’ll figure out how to put in a photo album, rather than subject you to all these shots in the post. But what the hell – the photos are what it’s all about, huh?

When I began reading Witches Abroad, I was delighted to find that the city-nation of Genua is based loosely on the Southern US city of New Orleans. About eighteen months ago, I was lucky enough to travel for two weeks in the US, spending half that time falling unreasonably and irredeemably in love with Louisiana and New Orleans and its people, culture, food, scenery…the list goes on. The atmosphere and aesthetic of the mildly, gracefully decaying dame that is The Big Easy inspired every sense, and continues to do so.

Being able to spin a yarn that evoked that, within the framework of this story that I love so much, was an opportunity too good to pass up. And the conspiracy of circumstances once again assured me of my purpose. Two of the batts that Esther Jazzturtle sent me in the time I subscribed to her batt club, named “Frog Prince” and “Peeps”, seemed to play off against one another perfectly. They were full of sparklies, and based on a purple, gold and green palette that nods to the colours of the New Orleans party scene but tones the glaring crassness down to make it more…fantastical. Otherworldly. Discworldly, not to put too fine a point on it.

The finishing touch was a packet of these strange streamer things I found in an op-shop about a year ago. I saw them and instantly saw art-yarn fodder, but it’s taken me till now to figure out how to use them. They’re plastic, purple, and intended for Easter decoration, or some other such nonsense.

Peeps batt from Jazzturtle

Frog Prince batt from Jazzturtle, with Easter streamers

The yarn is plied, washed in super hot water and is hanging to dry. Call this a cliffhanger – I’ll get you photos when I can get home at a decent time of day. Promise. In the meantime – here’s the teaser: